Hello, friends! Our book today is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, written by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, and illustrated by Lois Ehlert, the classic alphabet story of an adventurous young alphabet and their brush with disaster, now available in an storytime-friendly spiral-bound version.

“A told B, and B told C, ‘I’ll meet you at the top of the coconut tree’”. After the first three letters scale the palm tree, the other lowercase letters of the alphabet join in, until the entire alphabet finds themselves weighing the now-wobbly tree down. After a disastrous tumble, and some coddling by their caregivers (the uppercase letters, naturally), the lowercase letters limp off with a few bumps and bruises for their trouble… but not deterred in the least from trying to scale the coconut tree again soon.

What can we say about such a classic? There’s a reason that this simple, masterfully-metered, and charmingly-illustrated alphabet story has been a beloved staple of libraries and bookshelves for over forty years. Reading it again for this review was like slipping on a cozy sweater: familiar, comforting, and wonderfully enjoyable. This new spiral-bound version, inspired by the kamishibai style of storytelling, allows the adult reader to recite the enlarged text off the back of the book while holding the illustrated spread (which includes a smaller version of text as well) up for optimal audience visibility. While this is great for any storytime experience, this is a wonderful adaptation for educators reading to a larger audience. In addition, the book can still be enjoyed in the traditional orientation, allowing for a versatility of reading styles. JJ and I loved revisiting this old favorite; it’s the perfect length for a quick storytime, and a wonderful way to brush up on the alphabet. Overall, a classic title that can be enjoyed in a brand new way, and we loved it! Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)